Four New Achievement Missions in Patch 1.2

Found next to your trusty vendor sales rep on your fleet station is a set of new achievement missions. Unlike other achievements in the game, these babies have unique rewards. For your efforts you'll be able to show off to the galaxy your shinny new speeder, knowing that only people who have completed these missions will have access to these new mounts.

Aratech Ice speeder: This ice cold slick mount is awarded for completing all of the following Flashpoints in hard mode: Esseles, Taral V, Maelstrom Prison, Directive 7, The Battle of Ilum, The False Emperor, Kaon Under Siege and Lost Island.

The vehicle listed here is the Aratech Nightscythe but the reward is listed as Praxon Firaxa. Not sure if that's a bug, but either way, the reqrd is given for defeating these Operation bosses in Hard mode: Droid XRR-3, Gharj, Soa, Bonethrasher, G4-B3 Heavy Fabricator, Karagga, Zorn and Toth, Colonel Vorgath, and Kephess.

As I am going through these screenshots I collected to share I am noticing that a lot of them list a vehicle name and then a different reward. In this case it's a Aratech Fire vehicle and the reward is Praxon Trackmaster, which also sounds like a vehicle name to me. Mayb ethe Praxon Trackmaster is commonly known as an Aratech Fire, or vice versa? I am just hoping it's bright red with flames! This reward id given for defeating these Operation bosses in Story mode: Droid XRR-3, Gharj, Soa, Bonethrasher, G4-B3 Heavy Fabricator, Karagga, Zorn and Toth, Colonel Vorgath, and Kephess.

This one lists the same vehicle name and reward name: Aratech Coral. Snowblind, Gargath, Primal destroyer and Nightmare Pilgrim world bosses all have to be defeated for this one.

I can see these achievements driving more people to operations and world bosses. General chat is going to be abuzz with people trying to get groups together for these. With the right group leader most of the story operations and world bosses are easy to achieve at level 50. My level 50 character on the new Australian server has only been level 50 for a week and I've completed all of the operations listed above in Story mode. Our guild will start Hard modes in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see if these achievement missions are backwards compatible with kills that your character has already done when the patch goes live (or will you have to do the operations again in order to get these achievements?).

Taunta: Close up with the new Collector's Edition pet in patch 1.2

One of the most exciting things about patch 1.2 is the introduction of Taunta. Tauna is an awesome new pet for those of you who forked out the extra credits for the Collector's Edition, unlike that little droid that looks like a vacume cleaner and goes beep ... and not much else. Now you must admit that just the look of Taunta is very well done, right down to the little horns on his head and his cute little tauntaun sounds.  

You can purchase Taunta if you have access tot he Collector's Edition vendor. He will set you back 200 000 credits, but me being a sucker for pets, I didn't think twice about dropping that type of cash for a new buddy.

The second you pull Taunta out he will focus on you with admiring eyes and follow you everywhere.

Unlike your other companions, Taunta won't abandon you as soon as you pull out your mount. Taunta can keep up with you, even when you're riding a 110 speed mount.

Taunta is also a chick magnet! Kira seemed to be fascinated with him; or is that jealousy?

You'll find yourself starring at Taunta, watching his cute little yawns. He also seems to constantly scratch at the ground, kind of like a chicken.

Taunta will be available in patch 1.2.

Developer Dispatch: The Legacy System

Is that a jet pack mount unlock I see for Bounty Hunter? I so want that on my Jedi!

The Legacy System is coming in Game Update 1.2, and with it, a new dimension to The Old Republic™ experience. Like the Skywalkers, you'll build your own family tree in the Star Wars™ galaxy, linking your characters on the same server together. Your achievements will open up new species options, new abilities for all the characters in your Legacy, and that's only the beginning...

Trooper Companion Information Updated

Troopers, it's your turn: our Companion List information for Trooper Companions has now been updated to our latest style of presentation. Character information, Gameplay information and Gift Preferences are all included.

Sith Inquisitor Companion Details in Full

If you want to romance Andronikos Revel, or maybe Ashara Zavros is more your style, you'll need to know what gifts can give you extra mileage. We've updated our Companion List information for the Sith Inquisitor class, with the gift preferences information and a whole lot more.

Go forth, you Force-attuned, Empire aligned players and get to know your companions! 

Jedi Consular Companion List Update

If you are playing a Jedi Consular then bookmark our page of information about their companions so that you can quickly alt-tab to check out the facts as you play. The list has been updated so that not only does it look pretty, it's got more information and no blank areas.

Check it out now.

Combat Log Update and Details Game Update 1.2

At the Guild Summit in early March, Bioware announced that SWTOR was finally getting combat logs. There have been all sorts of heated debates across the forums about whether this will be good or bad for the game. I am not a huge fan of combat logs because they are often miss-used. Combat logs are a brilliant tool for optimizing a player's personal DPS or healing abilities. Having access to this information will allow you to choose the right sequence of attack for any given situation. Unfortunately, I've seen players sit out of raids and kicked from dungeons for having chosen to play a class that is at the time sub-par at a given task, a judgement made from information gleaned from combat logs. Most of the time, players making decisions based on combat logs, actually have no idea what they're looking at. As an MMO player who raided religiously for over three years, I often found that some of our most valuable raid members where players who were not at the top of the DPS meters. DPS meters have a problem of not showing group-wide buff advantages and they don't show a players' ability to attack the right target or be in the right place at the right time, or interupt a crucial critical hit from a boss. Often you will find players playing the DPS meters and not worrying about how they can truly benefit the group and the given situation.

At this stage, the information that Bioware has provided indicates that combat logs will be client-side only. This means that you can only you will see how well you are doing. I hope this stays true. being able to better yourself is one thing. Being able to judge others on their performance is another. I am just hoping no classes get judged once the combat logs become available.

Georg Zoeller provided us with a breakdown of what the combat log is. As you can see, with this combat log we will be able to calculate DPS (damage per second), healing per second and threat generated. A threat meter is something that may help a lot of players in raid scenarios. Bioware have released this information to the media community to allow them to start work on mods for SWTOR.

Iotasquared created a simple combat log parser that parses the combat logs and prints out damage/heals/threat stats here.

Read on to see a full example of what an exported combat log looks like, supplied by Bioware. Warning: this looks like scrambled text to the uninitiated.




[03/01/2012 14:19:14] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Lucky Shots {1781496599806223}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:14] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Fortification {1781496599806227}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:14] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Force Might {1781496599805952}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:14] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Force Valor {1781496599806219}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:14] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:15] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Sprint {810670782152704}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Sprint {810670782152704}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:15] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Shien Form {1280806492307456}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Shien Form {1280806492307456}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:28] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:55] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Lucky Shots {1781496599806223}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:55] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Fortification {1781496599806227}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:55] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Force Might {1781496599805952}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:55] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Force Might {1781496599805952}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Force Valor {1781496599806219}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:55] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:56] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Sprint {810670782152704}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Sprint {810670782152704}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:19:56] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Shien Form {1280806492307456}] [ApplyEffect {836045448945477}: Shien Form {1280806492307456}] ()
[03/01/2012 14:20:05] [@Idrurrez] [@Idrurrez] [Safe Login {973870949466112}] [RemoveEffect {836045448945478}: Safe Login Immunity {973870949466372}] () 

Big update to our Bounty Hunter Companion List

Now that we've had the opportunity to spend more time ingame we'd thought we'd go back and optimize our companion pages which we started way back in Beta (which was only a little over 3 months ago!). We've included new information about when your companions are obtained and what quests actually award your companions. Information about gift preferences has also been updated and presented in a new easy to follow chart. We've gathered all this information for all companions and will be updating our pages over the following weeks. Today's update is of the Bounty Hunter companion list and it of course also includes the customizations for Mako.

I'd like to thank everybody for providing their feedback which has lead to these updates. Feel free to add tips in the comments section.

Don't forget, if you find the information useful, share it with your friends on Google+, Facebook or 

The Many Looks of Mako

Complete Guide to Mako Customizations

Mako's bubbly personality is an absolute pleasure to be around and whoever wrote for her did a fabulous job. She probably has the most realistic personality out of all the female companions I have encountered so far. Mako is the very first companion you get as a Bounty Hunter. As a healer she makes life really easy, especially if you're a Powertech hunter. The storyline in general in Bounty Hunter is brilliant and if you haven't rolled one yet, it's something you have to do in this game. Although my main class is Jedi playing alongside Mako on my Bounty Hunter provides a refreshing change of pace and experience. Although she is alligned with a Bounty Hunter, who theoretically works with Sith, she is not really keen on dark side decisions unless it involves making more money. Her cybernetics give her unique abilities and also provide distinct facial features in many of the customizations available for Mako. All eight of Mako's customizations are currently available in SWTOR. Let's have a closer look.

I equipped the security key vendor's bikini top on Mako for your viewing pleasure. Although she looks really good in her standard medium armor, Imperial Agent style gear. It was mentioned in Bioware's blog that Mako is the most popular companion when it comes to romance; this girl gets around! But I'd better be careful what I say about Mako ... I don't want every Bounty Hunter after me in the game!


The customizations provide you with an amazing variety of looks, everything from the simple Eurasian default look right through to the punk rocker look you get with customization 8. It doesn't matter if you prefer blondes, red heads, brunettes, dark skin or pasty white, there is a look for everybody.

The customizations are so diverse that she looks like a different character each time. Not only does the face shape change, so does the hair, skin color and the position of the cybernetics. Unlike other customizations for Kira and Risha you really do get 9 very different looks.

A special Rakghoul customization from our Rakghoul Pandemic event:

Although you get a choice of customizations 1, 2 or 3 when she first joins you, you can purchase customizations 1-6 from the customization vendor Keth on Taris. Each one costs 12500 credits.

Customization number 8 can be purchased on Imperial Fleet Vaiken Spacedock from the Security Key Vendor named Toth (above).

You can find customization number 7 also on Vaiken Spacedock but from the Collector's Edition Vendor called Nongta - so yes, you do have to have purchased the Collector's Edition to get number 7.

Mako Wallpapers

Show your love for this spunky splicer with some of these Mako wallpapers!

Don't forget to check out similar posts:

Our full list of companions and gifts
The Many Looks of Elara Dorne
The Many Looks of Kira Carsen
The Many Looks of Vette
The Many Looks of Mako
The Many Looks of Risha
The Many Looks of Nadia Grell

For information on customization options for other companions check out the other 'Many Looks of ... ' posts on SWTORFace.

For more information on Mako and Bounty Hunter companions, check out our companion pages.

Game Update 1.2 "Legacy" Video in HD

Star Wars Game Update 1.2 "Legacy" Video in HD

This Video looks at:

WarZone: Novare Coast
Operation: Explosive conflict
Flashpoint: The Lost Island
Expanded Legacy System
Legacy Family Tree
Legacy Abilities
Legacy Unlocks
Legacy Species Unlocks
Advances Options
UI Customization
Improved Character Textures
Appearance Customization
Mission Tracker Useables
Warzone Rankings
New Corellia Daily Missions
New Mini Pets
Guild Banks
New Gear

Interesting Stats from the SWTOR Guild Summit

There has been a lot of news from the SWTOR Guild Summit this week. I found that some of the general stats were quite revealing, surprising even! For example:

BioChem is not the most common tradeskill – Artifice is 

Actually that fact is not that surprising to me. A lot of players would have chosen Artifice when they first started their Jedi or Sith characters. It seemed like a logical choice and from the get-go the crafting missions for Artifice related skills have been way more expensive than any other crafting missions.

57% of players play Empire, 42% of players play Republic

Somebody got their figures wrong here since we're missing 1%. I am actually surprised it's that close, but then again I am only going from experiences on one server.

Approximately 70% play males, 30% play females 

I wish I knew what percentage of players are male and female in real life too. I guess the ability to romance companions is enough of a draw card to role a male character instead of a female for many guys.

Stats sourced with thanks from TOR Wars.

New Crystals Available on a Space Station Near You!

The most exciting new content from today's patch is a slew of new crystals which you can simply purchase off a vendor at your fleet station. Due to popular demand Bioware have added two new vendors to the Republic and Imperial fleets. Both vendors have a variety of level 47 and 50 high end crystals in a rainbow of colors including blue, green, purple, red, white and yellow. The vendors also sell schematics for players to craft the Magenta crystals. The starting price for these babies is 125 000 credits and prices go all the way up to 2.5 million for a white crystal. 

[The crafted Magenta crystal looks awesome in Kira's muscular yet feminine grasp of her twin lightsaber.]

Also with this patch the restrictions on specific colored crystals have been removed. You can be light side, ranked five and equip a red crystal. Unfortunately, until they allow players to dismantle their epic sabers from PVe and PvP most players will not be able to even use these crystals. My lightsaber, which I got from PvP, is a purple item that can't be changed with any mods. According to the developers, this is being addressed in the next major patch. 

Let's have a look at the prices and variety available:

Click to see the list of crystals and prices

The purple saber crystal, seen for the first time in Republic players' hands since beta, looks awesome when combined with the blue/black saber available from end game raiding.

So, where can you find the vendors to go and make your purchase?

For Republic players, head to Carrick Station and talk to Geologist Breshin who is in the Galactic Trade Market sector.

For Imperial players, head to Vaiken Spacedock and talk to Geologist Pajro who is in the Galactic Trade Market sector.

If you pre-ordered the game Bioware have also included upgraded versions of the black/yellow crystal that you were awarded in the mail when you first created your character. For 100k you will get the level 47 yellow/black in a variety of different bonuses. For 250k you can get the level 50 equivalent.

The vendor has four different varieties of each level/cost to choose from.

A tribute to Ralph McQuarrie

SWTOR is part of the expanded universe of Star Wars and although it has a distinct look that is identifiable as early on in the timeline of the Star Wars universe, there's also a continuity with the visuals from the original movie trilogy. The look of those first three films owes a great debt to Ralph McQuarrie, who passed away on Saturday.

Star Wars was one of the first films to spiral into a phenomenon, offering fans clothing, figurines, cereal, stationary, and other oddities, and also beautiful publications of pre-production artwork from McQuarrie.

George Lucas has commented:
"Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision 'Star Wars,'" Lucas said in a statement. "His genial contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original 'Star Wars' trilogy. "When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it like this.'" - Source

Whilst George Lucas imagined the characters, the plot, the setting and the players in the story, Ralph McQuarrie visualized it. Spend a moment looking at his outstanding pieces and you'll appreciate how far his legacy has reached.

The importance of a name

As you all have noticed over the last week, Bioware launched new Asia Pacific servers. This was bitter sweet for me; I wish the servers had been made live in the Asia Pacific area at the time of launch. Needless to say, Bioware made their decision before launch and stuck to it. After the first launch in the US and Europe, I busted my butt to ensure that I got my legacy name. I happened to miss out on one of my naming preferences due to the staggering launch technique they used and what annoyed me even more was that the name that I wanted was nabbed by a player that hasn't even logged in yet! It's a level 1 that has sat for the last two and a half months doing nothing. 

A lot of payers opted to reserve all eight names they could get and obviously the first players in had the pick of the crop. With the Asia Pacific launch, the servers came online and it was another free for all. I saved my three names that I wanted. One of them I used straight away and the other two I will be using when the transfers come around. 

It was funny to see the variety of names that appeared on the new avatars in the first hours of the Asia Pacific launch. We had Yoda, Mace Windu, The Emporer battling it out in chat with some of Australia's current politicians! It seems though, that all these names were short lived as most of them were forced to name change by Bioware. One odd request that affected one of our guild members was the forced name change of an avatar he had named Grave. The player received a notice when he tried to login and he was forced to rename his character. I am a bit concerned that Bioware employees may have gone a bit heavy-handed with the naming rules. It also might have been a case of the GM responsible not truly understanding the meaning of the name, or perhaps it means something totally different in other countries that we're not aware of. 

The second issue with naming is legacy names. Now a legacy name is even more important than your character's main name as it's something you use for all your characters. You don't get your legacy name until you have finished Act 1 so for me, the last week was a desperate race to the end of Act 1 to ensure I saved my name that I've had both on Beta and on the US server I started on.

The name I chose was Sunrider. Nomi Sunrider was a Jedi Knight even before the timeline of SWTOR. I've had a picture of her above my desk for about twenty years. It's artwork from a comic book, which really touched me and I've always used the Sunrider name in Star Wars gaming from when I was first given the opportunity in Star Wars Galaxies.

Nomi Sunrider

A friend and I helped each other through Act 1 over the weekend but he missed out on his legacy name of choice even though he had been using it on the other server. Short of taking medical stimulants to stay awake, I don't think we could have done it any faster!

How important is it to you to have the right name for your character/s? I've spoken to other players in game who specifically rolled on a server due to the fact that the name they wanted was available. With the implementation of a surname I don't see why Bioware can't have five Johns on the same server, all with different legacy names. This might make it more realistic and flexible for players who want to use the first name of their choice.